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annavictoriia's review against another edition
2.0
this, considering, was a very good mystery. i very much enjoy mary russell as a character, and the twists of the murder mystery section of the book were very good and kept me on my toes.
what is my reasoning for a 2 star review you ask. well, simple enough. the author made the unfortunate decision to advance russell and holmes’ relationship into that of the romantic. which deeply ruined this otherwise enjoyable book for me, seeing as SHE IS TWENTY-ONE AND HE IS FIFTY-NINE. “get over it” NO. NO I WILL NOT.
what is my reasoning for a 2 star review you ask. well, simple enough. the author made the unfortunate decision to advance russell and holmes’ relationship into that of the romantic. which deeply ruined this otherwise enjoyable book for me, seeing as SHE IS TWENTY-ONE AND HE IS FIFTY-NINE. “get over it” NO. NO I WILL NOT.
debrabrinckley's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked this sophomore effort more than the first. The plot had tremendous depth, ample philosophical and religious tension along with a heroine that is not perfect or one dimensional. I'm looking forward to continuing the series.
carladash's review against another edition
2.0
This one read like well-written fan-fiction to me. The mystery was boring. I don't like my protagonists turned into a damsels in distress. And I really could have done without the "romance." At the very least I'd have liked to see the tension of it strung out a little longer.
juniperd's review against another edition
3.0
this book was fine, interesting little twist near the end. but i feel as though king has done some padding in the first two books of this series, like they could've used a bit more editing to help improve the storylines and the flow. some things wrap up nicely, and some things just seem to disappear, never mentioned again. perhaps they will crop up elsewhere in the series, but it doesn't feel that way. so, hmmm?
i enjoyed the quotes heading each of the chapters - some of them will make you mad at men/societies of the times for being so thick (noted men of history being quoted on how it is that women are inferior make up many of the quotes ⅔ of them, anyway). the title of the book doesn't really work well for me.
i enjoyed the quotes heading each of the chapters - some of them will make you mad at men/societies of the times for being so thick (noted men of history being quoted on how it is that women are inferior make up many of the quotes ⅔ of them, anyway). the title of the book doesn't really work well for me.
sleepytimebooks's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
adragonsshadow's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lisafrancine's review against another edition
The age gap (almost 40yrs.) between Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes & the beginning of their romantic relationship. This was originally published in the mid 1990’s - I do not think this BIG portion of the story line works in 2024.
kitkat65865's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
liakeller's review against another edition
4.0
Another enjoyable installment about Mrs. Russell. Her character amuses me so much- if I had been born in that time period I hope I would have been like her!
sandranirina's review against another edition
2.0
I had such a high expectation of this book as the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, was really absorbing. I had a hard time reading this novel until the end, but I did. I've opted to listen to the audiobook version, which I usually find wholly absorbing, but this time, I really struggled.
The plot, despite its originality, wasn't engaging, and the narrator's voice almost put me off the book after the first two chapters. The idea of a romance, and then marriage, between a 21-year-old Mary Russell, and a 60 something years old Sherlock Holmes, is simply preposterous. It may be justified by their brilliant intellect finding their soul mate in each other, but it still remains ridiculous. I believe I'll move on to other series, and no longer take this one into consideration.
The plot, despite its originality, wasn't engaging, and the narrator's voice almost put me off the book after the first two chapters. The idea of a romance, and then marriage, between a 21-year-old Mary Russell, and a 60 something years old Sherlock Holmes, is simply preposterous. It may be justified by their brilliant intellect finding their soul mate in each other, but it still remains ridiculous. I believe I'll move on to other series, and no longer take this one into consideration.